Committee that sent anti-Del Borrello mailers is Norcross’ PAC under new name

American Representative Majority, the mysterious political action committee that sent mailers last week attacking 4th district GOP State Senate candidate Chris Del Borrello, is in fact a pre-existing South Jersey Democratic PAC under a new name, campaign finance reports confirm.

For several years, South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross used a PAC called American Democratic Majority to spend on behalf of his preferred candidates. That PAC has now been renamed American Representative Majority, according to a document released today by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

One of the PAC’s first expenditures under its new name was to send out mailers attacking Del Borrello in an apparent attempt to boost his primary opponent, Nick DeSilvio, whom South Jersey Democrats evidently view as a more beatable general election candidate. (It also has the benefit of weakening Del Borrello if he wins the nomination instead.)

The name change may have been made so that Republican voters wouldn’t get turned off by a mailer from a group with “Democratic” in its name.

The newly rechristened PAC also went public today with a new website attacking Del Borrello, deepening South Jersey Democrats’ investment in the 4th district primary.

“We should be so lucky as to run against either of these flawed candidates,” the PAC said in an email. “What’s been in the mail so far is only the tip of Del Borrello’s unethical iceberg and South Jersey is just getting started exposing and embarrassing the GOP candidates across the region. It’s going to be a long summer.”

It’s not yet clear how much the PAC is spending on its 4th district meddling campaign. A 48-hour expenditure report filed last week details $2,904 spent on “direct mail” in early May, but the filing says that the spending was in support of Democrats in the 3rd legislative district, not the 4th district.

Back when it was still called American Democratic Majority, the PAC raised eyebrows after it reported raising $0 during the first quarter of 2023, which some took as a sign that Norcross was taking a step back. (Even with no new money coming in, the PAC still had $192,750 on-hand.)

According to the name-change filing, that stagnant fundraising may continue for a while longer. Asked on the report how much it anticipates raising this calendar year, the PAC said approximately $1,000; next calendar year, however, the PAC said it anticipates raising $250,000.